Music fills the courts of heaven as heavenly beings praise our Lord and
Creator. When God created the world, the morning stars sang together and all the angels
shouted for joy (Job 38:7). God created man in His own image, to be a instrument of
praise. He gave humans the ability to sing and to make music with musical instruments to
complement the voice.

Music was an important part of the worship service at the temple.
Certain groups of the Levitical tribes were designated as temple musicians and singers,
offering their praises to God. David had a real gift of music, providing soothing harp
music to King Saul when the king was distraught. David also commissioned most of the
instruments and songs for the temple services. He also wrote most of the songs in Psalms,
the longest book in the Bible.

Songs and poetry were also means to improve the memory, to help
remember significant events or warnings. The Song of Moses is a good example of this.

From the introduction of the harp and flute early in Genesis to the
song of the redeemed in God's heavenly city, music fills the Holy Scriptures. A number of
songs are included in their entirety in this compilation. Our prayer is that your heart
will be filled with music as together we study what the Bible has to say about music,
songs and musical instruments.

Note: There are no references to any drum type instruments mentioned in
the New International Version of the Holy Bible such as: drum(s), percussion and rhythm or
beat. Tambourines and cymbals are the only percussion instruments mentioned. The Hebrew
from which word "sistrums" came, has also been translated as
"castenets" or "cornets" in other translations of the Bible. It is
only used once in the Bible, in 2 Sam. 6:5.

The word trumpet is used frequently in non-musical settings such
as for warning, a battle signal and for religious occasions prior to some important
declaration. The usage of trumpets in those settings have been left out of the text
compilation. Where trumpets are used for musical purposes or to announce Christ's
"second coming," the verses have been retained.

Gen. 4:20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live
in tents and raise livestock.

21His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play
the harp and flute.

Gen. 31:26 Then Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done? You've
deceived me, and you've carried off my daughters like captives in war.

27Why did you run off
secretly and deceive me? Why didn't you tell me, so I could send you away with joy and singing
to the music of tambourines and harps? 28You didn't even let me kiss my
grandchildren and my daughters good-by. You have done a foolish thing.

Exod. 15:2 The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become
my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.

3The LORD is a
warrior; the LORD is his name. . . . 19When Pharaoh's horses, chariots and horsemen went into the sea,
the LORD brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through
the sea on dry ground. 20Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand,
and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing. 21Miriam sang to them:
"Sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has
hurled into the sea."

Exod. 32:17 When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said
to Moses, "There is the sound of war in the camp."

18Moses replied: "It is not the sound
of victory, it is not the sound of defeat; it is the sound of singing that I
hear." 19When
Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he
threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain.

Num. 21:16 From there they continued on to Beer, the well where the
LORD said to Moses, "Gather the people together and I will give them water."

17Then Israel sang
this song: "Spring up, O well! Sing about it, 18about the well that the
princes dug, that the nobles of the people sank-- the nobles with scepters and
staffs."

Introduction: Songs as poetry were a mechanism used frequently in
days of old to improve recall. The song of Moses is such as song. Since it is referred to
in Revelation as being sung by those standing on the sea of glass, I have included it in
its entirety.

Deut. 31:19 "Now write down for yourselves this song and
teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness for
me against them.

20When I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, the land I
promised on oath to their forefathers, and when they eat their fill and thrive, they will
turn to other gods and worship them, rejecting me and breaking my covenant. 21And when many disasters and
difficulties come upon them, this song will testify against them, because it will
not be forgotten by their descendants. I know what they are disposed to do, even before I
bring them into the land I promised them on oath." 22So Moses wrote down this song that
day and taught it to the Israelites. . . . 30And Moses recited the words of this song from beginning to
end in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel:

2Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new
grass, like abundant rain on tender plants. 3I will proclaim the name
of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! 4He
is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does
no wrong, upright and just is he. 5They have acted corruptly
toward him; to their shame they are no longer his children, but a warped and crooked
generation. 6Is this the way you repay the LORD, O
foolish and unwise people? Is he not your Father, your Creator, who made you and formed
you? 7Remember the days of old;
consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and
they will explain to you. 8When the Most High gave
the nations their inheritance, when he divided all mankind, he set up boundaries for the
peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel. 9For
the LORD's portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance. 10In a desert land he found
him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as
the apple of his eye, 11like an eagle that stirs up
its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them
on its pinions. 12The LORD alone led him; no
foreign god was with him. 13He made him ride on the
heights of the land and fed him with the fruit of the fields. He nourished him with honey
from the rock, and with oil from the flinty crag, 14with
curds and milk from herd and flock and with fattened lambs and goats, with choice rams of
Bashan and the finest kernels of wheat. You drank the foaming blood of the grape. 15Jeshurun grew fat and
kicked; filled with food, he became heavy and sleek. He abandoned the God who made him and
rejected the Rock his Savior. 16They made him jealous
with their foreign gods and angered him with their detestable idols. 17They sacrificed to demons, which are not God-- gods they had not known,
gods that recently appeared, gods your fathers did not fear. 18You
deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth. 19The LORD saw this and
rejected them because he was angered by his sons and daughters. 20"I will hide my face from them," he said, "and see what
their end will be; for they are a perverse generation, children who are unfaithful. 21They made me jealous by what is no god and angered me
with their worthless idols. I will make them envious by those who are not a people; I will
make them angry by a nation that has no understanding. 22For
a fire has been kindled by my wrath, one that burns to the realm of death below. It will
devour the earth and its harvests and set afire the foundations of the mountains. 23"I will heap
calamities upon them and spend my arrows against them. 24I
will send wasting famine against them, consuming pestilence and deadly plague; I will send
against them the fangs of wild beasts, the venom of vipers that glide in the dust. 25In the street the sword will make them childless; in
their homes terror will reign. Young men and young women will perish, infants and
gray-haired men. 26I said I would scatter them and
blot out their memory from mankind, 27but I dreaded
the taunt of the enemy, lest the adversary misunderstand and say, `Our hand has triumphed;
the LORD has not done all this.'" 28They are a nation without
sense, there is no discernment in them. 29If only
they were wise and would understand this and discern what their end will be! 30How could one man chase a thousand, or two put ten
thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the LORD had given them up? 31For their rock is not like our Rock, as even our enemies
concede. 32Their vine comes from the vine of Sodom
and from the fields of Gomorrah. Their grapes are filled with poison, and their clusters
with bitterness. 33Their wine is the venom of
serpents, the deadly poison of cobras. 34"Have I
not kept this in reserve and sealed it in my vaults? 35It
is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of
disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them." 36The LORD will judge his
people and have compassion on his servants when he sees their strength is gone and no one
is left, slave or free. 37He will say "Now where
are their gods, the rock they took refuge in, 38the
gods who ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let
them rise up to help you! Let them give you shelter! 39"See now that I
myself am He! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have
wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand. 40I lift my hand to heaven and declare: As surely as I live forever, 41when I sharpen my flashing sword and my hand grasps it in
judgment, I will take vengeance on my adversaries and repay those who hate me. 42I will make my arrows drunk with blood, while my sword
devours flesh: the blood of the slain and the captives, the heads of the enemy
leaders." 43Rejoice, O nations, with
his people, for he will avenge the blood of his servants; he will take vengeance on his
enemies and make atonement for his land and people. 44Moses came with Joshua son
of Nun and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people. 45When Moses finished reciting all these words to all
Israel, 46he said to them, "Take to heart all
the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children
to obey carefully all the words of this law.

Judg. 5:1 On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this
song:

2"When
the princes in Israel take the lead, when the people willingly offer themselves-- praise
the LORD! 3"Hear
this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I will sing to the LORD, I will sing; I
will make music to the LORD, the God of Israel. 4"O LORD, when you went out from Seir,
when you marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, the heavens poured, the clouds
poured down water. 5The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God
of Israel. 6"In
the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the roads were abandoned; travelers
took to winding paths. 7Village life in Israel ceased, ceased until I, Deborah, arose, arose a mother in
Israel. 8When
they chose new gods, war came to the city gates, and not a shield or spear was seen among
forty thousand in Israel. 9My heart is with Israel's princes, with the willing volunteers
among the people. Praise the LORD! 10"You who ride on white donkeys, sitting on your saddle
blankets, and you who walk along the road, consider 11the voice of the singers at the watering places. They
recite the righteous acts of the LORD, the righteous acts of his warriors in Israel.

Judg. 11:34 When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should
come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of tambourines!
She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter.

35When he saw her, he tore
his clothes and cried, "Oh! My daughter! You have made me miserable and wretched,
because I have made a vow to the LORD that I cannot break." 36"My father," she
replied, "you have given your word to the LORD. Do to me just as you promised, now
that the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites.

1Sam. 10:5 [Samuel said to Saul] "After that you will go to
Gibeah of God, where there is a Philistine outpost. As you approach the town, you will
meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, tambourines,
flutes and harps being played before them, and they will be prophesying.

6The Spirit of
the LORD will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be
changed into a different person.

1Sam. 16:15 Saul's
attendants said to him, "See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.

16Let our lord command his
servants here to search for someone who can play the harp. He will play when the
evil spirit from God comes upon you, and you will feel better." 17So Saul said to his
attendants, "Find someone who plays well and bring him to me." 18One of the servants
answered, "I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp.
He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the LORD is
with him." 19Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, "Send me your son David,
who is with the sheep." 20So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a
young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul. 21David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very
much, and David became one of his armor-bearers. 22Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, "Allow David to remain
in my service, for I am pleased with him." 23Whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take
his harp and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the
evil spirit would leave him.

1Sam. 18:5 Whatever Saul sent him to do, David did it so successfully
that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the people, and Saul's
officers as well.

6When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the
women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing,
with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes. 7As they danced, they sang:
"Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands." 8Saul was very angry; this
refrain galled him. "They have credited David with tens of thousands," he
thought, "but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?" 9And from that time on Saul
kept a jealous eye on David. 10The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully upon Saul. He
was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the harp, as he usually did.
Saul had a spear in his hand 11and he hurled it, saying to himself, "I'll pin David to the
wall." But David eluded him twice.

1Sam. 19:8 Once more war broke out, and David went out and fought the
Philistines. He struck them with such force that they fled before him.

9But an evil spirit from the
LORD came upon Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David
was playing the harp, 10Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear, but David eluded
him as Saul drove the spear into the wall. That night David made good his escape.

1Sam. 21:10 That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of
Gath.

11But the
servants of Achish said to him, "Isn't this David, the king of the land? Isn't he
the one they sing about in their dances: "`Saul has slain his
thousands, and David his tens of thousands'?" 12David took these words to heart and was
very much afraid of Achish king of Gath.

1Sam. 29:4 But the Philistine commanders were angry with him and said,
"Send the man back, that he may return to the place you assigned him. He must not go
with us into battle, or he will turn against us during the fighting. How better could he
regain his master's favor than by taking the heads of our own men?

5Isn't this the David they
sang about in their dances: "`Saul has slain his thousands, and
David his tens of thousands'?" 6So Achish called David and said to him, "As surely as the
LORD lives, you have been reliable, and I would be pleased to have you serve with me in
the army. From the day you came to me until now, I have found no fault in you, but the
rulers don't approve of you.

2Sam. 3:32 They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king wept aloud at
Abner's tomb. All the people wept also.

33The king sang this lament for Abner:
"Should Abner have died as the lawless die? 34Your hands were not bound, your feet were not fettered. You fell
as one falls before wicked men." And all the people wept over him again.

2Sam. 6:3 They set the ark of God on a new cart and brought it from the
house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding
the new cart

4with
the ark of God on it, and Ahio was walking in front of it. 5David and the whole house of Israel were
celebrating with all their might before the LORD, with songs and with harps,
lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals.

2Sam. 19:34 But Barzillai answered the king, "How many more years
will I live, that I should go up to Jerusalem with the king?

35I am now eighty years old. Can I tell the
difference between what is good and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats and
drinks? Can I still hear the voices of men and women singers? Why should your
servant be an added burden to my lord the king? 36Your servant will cross over the Jordan with the king for a short
distance, but why should the king reward me in this way?

2Sam. 22:1 David sang to the LORD the words of this song
when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.

2He said: "The LORD
is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; 3my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn
of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior-- from violent men you
save me. 4I call
to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. 5"The waves of death
swirled about me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. 6The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted
me. 7In my distress I called to the LORD; I called
out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears. 8"The earth trembled
and quaked, the foundations of the heavens shook; they trembled because he was angry. 9Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his
mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. 10He parted
the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. 11He
mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. 12He made darkness his canopy around him-- the dark rain clouds of the
sky. 13Out of the brightness of his presence bolts of
lightning blazed forth. 14The LORD thundered from
heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. 15He
shot arrows and scattered [the enemies], bolts of lightning and routed them. 16The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations
of the earth laid bare at the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of breath from his
nostrils. 17"He reached down from
on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. 18He
rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. 19They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the
LORD was my support. 20He brought me out into a
spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. 21"The LORD has dealt
with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has
rewarded me. 22For I have kept the ways of the LORD;
I have not done evil by turning from my God. 23All
his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees. 24I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin. 25The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to my cleanness in his sight. 26"To the faithful you
show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, 27to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself
shrewd. 28You save the humble, but your eyes are on
the haughty to bring them low. 29You are my lamp, O
LORD; the LORD turns my darkness into light. 30With
your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. 31"As for God, his
way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge
in him. 32For who is God besides the LORD? And
who is the Rock except our God? 33It is God who
arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. 34He
makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. 35He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of
bronze. 36You give me your shield of victory; you
stoop down to make me great. 37You broaden the path
beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn. . . . 49[The Lord] sets me
free from my enemies. You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me. 50Therefore I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I
will sing praises to your name. 51He gives his
king great victories; he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed, to David and his
descendants forever."

2Sam. 23:1 These are the last words of David: "The oracle of David
son of Jesse, the oracle of the man exalted by the Most High, the man anointed by the God
of Jacob, Israel's singer of songs:

2"The Spirit of the LORD spoke through
me; his word was on my tongue.

1Kgs. 1:39 Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred
tent and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people
shouted, "Long live King Solomon!"

40And all the people went up after him, playing flutes and
rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound. 41Adonijah and all the guests
who were with him heard it as they were finishing their feast. On hearing the sound of the
trumpet, Joab asked, "What's the meaning of all the noise in the city?" 42Even as he was speaking,
Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, "Come in. A worthy man
like you must be bringing good news." 43"Not at all!" Jonathan answered. "Our lord King
David has made Solomon king.

1Kgs. 4:31 [Solomon] was wiser than any other man, including
Ethan the Ezrahite --wiser than Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame
spread to all the surrounding nations.

32He spoke three thousand proverbs and his songs numbered
a thousand and five.

1Kgs. 10:11 (Hiram's ships brought gold from Ophir; and from there they
brought great cargoes of almugwood and precious stones.

12The king used the almugwood to make
supports for the temple of the LORD and for the royal palace, and to make harps and
lyres for the musicians. So much almugwood has never been imported or seen
since that day.)

2Kgs. 3:14 Elisha said, "As surely as the LORD Almighty lives,
whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I
would not look at you or even notice you.

15But now bring me a harpist." While the harpist
was playing, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha16and he said, "This is what the LORD
says: Make this valley full of ditches. 17For this is what the LORD says: You will see neither wind nor
rain, yet this valley will be filled with water, and you, your cattle and your other
animals will drink. 18This is an easy thing in the eyes of the LORD; he will also hand Moab over to
you.

1Chr. 6:31 These are the men David put in charge of the music
in the house of the LORD after the ark came to rest there.

32They ministered with music
before the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, until Solomon built the temple of the LORD
in Jerusalem. They performed their duties according to the regulations laid down for them.
33Here are the
men who served, together with their sons: From the Kohathites: Heman, the musician,
the son of Joel, the son of Samuel, . . . [etc.]

1Chr. 9:33 Those who were musicians, heads of Levite
families, stayed in the rooms of the temple and were exempt from other duties because
they were responsible for the work day and night.

34All these were heads of Levite families, chiefs as listed in their
genealogy, and they lived in Jerusalem.

1Chr. 13:7 They moved the ark of God from Abinadab's house on a new
cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it.

8David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their
might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines,
cymbals and trumpets.

1Chr. 15:15 And the Levites carried the ark of God with
the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the
LORD. 16David told the leaders of the Levites to
appoint their brothers as singers to sing joyful songs, accompanied
by musicalinstruments: lyres, harps and cymbals. 17So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his
brothers, Asaph son of Berekiah; and from their brothers the Merarites, Ethan son
of Kushaiah; 18and with them their brothers next in
rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah,
Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom and Jeiel, the gatekeepers. 19The
musicians Heman, Asaph and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals; 20Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab,
Maaseiah and Benaiah were to play the lyres according to alamoth, 21and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel
and Azaziah were to play the harps, directing according to sheminith. 22Kenaniah the head Levite was in charge of the singing;
that was his responsibility because he was skillful at it.

1Chr. 15:25 So David and the elders of Israel and the commanders of
units of a thousand went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of
Obed-edom, with rejoicing.

26Because God had helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of
the covenant of the LORD, seven bulls and seven rams were sacrificed. 27Now David was clothed in a
robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and as were the singers,
and Kenaniah, who was in charge of the singing of the choirs. David
also wore a linen ephod. 28So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD
with shouts, with the sounding of rams' horns and trumpets, and of cymbals,
and the playing of lyres and harps. 29As the ark of the covenant of the LORD was entering the City of
David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David dancing
and celebrating, she despised him in her heart.

1Chr. 16:4 He appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark
of the LORD, to make petition, to give thanks, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel:

5Asaph was the chief,
Zechariah second, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom
and Jeiel. They were to play the lyres and harps, Asaph was to sound
the cymbals, 6and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow the trumpets regularly
before the ark of the covenant of God. 7That day David first
committed to Asaph and his associates this psalm of thanks to the LORD: 8Give thanks to the LORD,
call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. 9Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his
wonderful acts. 10Glory in his holy name; let the
hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. 11Look to
the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. 12Remember
the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, 13O descendants of Israel his servant, O sons of Jacob, his
chosen ones. 14He is the LORD our God; his judgments
are in all the earth. 15He remembers his covenant
forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations, 16the
covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac. 17He
confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant: 18"To you I will give the land of Canaan as the
portion you will inherit." 19When they were but few in
number, few indeed, and strangers in it, 20they
wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another. 21He
allowed no man to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings: 22"Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm." 23Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim his
salvation day after day. 24Declare his glory among
the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. 25For
great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. 26For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the
LORD made the heavens. 27Splendor and majesty are
before him; strength and joy in his dwelling place. 28Ascribe
to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength, 29ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name. Bring an
offering and come before him; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. 30Tremble before him, all the earth! The world is firmly
established; it cannot be moved. 31Let the heavens
rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns!"
32Let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let
the fields be jubilant, and everything in them! 33Then
the trees of the forest will sing, they will sing for joy before the LORD,
for he comes to judge the earth. 34Give thanks to the LORD,
for he is good; his love endures forever. 35Cry out,
"Save us, O God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may
give thanks to your holy name, that we may glory in your praise." 36Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from
everlasting to everlasting. Then all the people said "Amen" and "Praise the
LORD."

1Chr. 16:41 With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest of those
chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the LORD, "for his love endures
forever."

42Heman
and Jeduthun were responsible for the sounding of the trumpets and cymbals
and for the playing of the other instruments for sacred song. The sons of
Jeduthun were stationed at the gate. 43Then all the people left, each for his own home, and David
returned home to bless his family.

1Chr. 23:4 David said, "Of these, twenty-four thousand are to
supervise the work of the temple of the LORD and six thousand are to be officials and
judges.

5Four
thousand are to be gatekeepers and four thousand are to praise the LORD with the musicalinstruments I have provided for that purpose."

1Chr. 25:1 David, together with the commanders of the army, set apart
some of the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun for the ministry of prophesying,
accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals. Here is the list of the men
who performed this service:

2From the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah and
Asarelah. The sons of Asaph were under the supervision of Asaph, who
prophesied under the king's supervision. 3As for Jeduthun, from his sons: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei,
Hashabiah and Mattithiah, six in all, under the supervision of their father Jeduthun, who
prophesied, using the harp in thanking and praising the LORD. 4As for Heman, from his sons:
Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shubael and Jerimoth; Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti and
Romamti-ezer; Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir and Mahazioth. 5All these were sons of Heman the king's
seer. They were given him through the promises of God to exalt him. God gave Heman
fourteen sons and three daughters. 6All these men were under the supervision of their fathers for
the music of the temple of the LORD, with cymbals, lyres and harps,
for the ministry at the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were under the
supervision of the king. 7Along with their relatives --all of them trained and skilled in music
for the LORD --they numbered 288.

Commentary: One of David's chosen directors for the ministry of
music was Asaph. He was very talented and wrote a number of the Psalms. His descendants
provided music at the temple for many generations and even after the Babylonian captivity
when the temple was rebuilt. You will notice his name is mentioned frequently as you read
on.

2Chr. 5:12 All the Levites who were musicians --Asaph,
Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives --stood on the east side of the altar, dressed
in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were
accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets.

13The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as
with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals
and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang:
"He is good; his love endures forever." Then the temple of the LORD was filled
with a cloud, 14and
the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the
LORD filled the temple of God.

2Chr. 7:5 And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand
head of cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the
people dedicated the temple of God.

6The priests took their positions, as did the Levites with the
LORD's musicalinstruments, which King David had made for praising the LORD
and which were used when he gave thanks, saying, "His love endures forever."
Opposite the Levites, the priests blew their trumpets, and all the Israelites were
standing.

2Chr. 9:10 (The men of Hiram and the men of Solomon brought gold from
Ophir; they also brought algumwood and precious stones.

11The king used the algumwood to make steps
for the temple of the LORD and for the royal palace, and to make harps and lyres
for the musicians. Nothing like them had ever been seen in Judah.)

2Chr. 15:14 They took an oath to the LORD with loud acclamation, with
shouting and with trumpets and horns.

15All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it
wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them. So the LORD gave them
rest on every side.

2Chr. 20:20 Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As
they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, Judah and people of
Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his
prophets and you will be successful."

21After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing
to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the
head of the army, saying: "Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever."
22As they began
to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and
Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. . . . 27Then, led by Jehoshaphat,
all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the LORD had given
them cause to rejoice over their enemies. 28They entered Jerusalem and went to the temple of the LORD with harps
and lutes and trumpets. 29The fear of God came upon all the kingdoms of the countries when
they heard how the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel.

2Chr. 23:12 When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and
cheering the king, she went to them at the temple of the LORD.

13She looked, and there was the king,
standing by his pillar at the entrance. The officers and the trumpeters were beside
the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and singers
with musicalinstruments were leading the praises. . . . 18Jehoiada placed the
oversight of the temple of the LORD in the hands of the priests, who were Levites, to whom
David had made assignments in the temple, to present the burnt offerings of the LORD as
written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and singing, as David had ordered.

2Chr. 29:25 He stationed the Levites in the temple of the LORD with cymbals,
harps and lyres in the way prescribed by David and Gad the king's seer and
Nathan the prophet; this was commanded by the LORD through his prophets.

26So the Levites stood ready
with David's instruments, and the priests with their trumpets. 27Hezekiah gave the order to
sacrifice the burnt offering on the altar. As the offering began, singing to the
LORD began also, accompanied by trumpets and the instruments of David king
of Israel. 28The
whole assembly bowed in worship, while the singerssang and the trumpeters
played. All this continued until the sacrifice of the burnt offering was completed. 29When the offerings were
finished, the king and everyone present with him knelt down and worshiped. 30King Hezekiah and his
officials ordered the Levites to praise the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph
the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshiped.

2Chr. 30:21 The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the
Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great rejoicing, while the Levites and
priests sang to the LORD every day, accompanied by the LORD's instruments of
praise.

22Hezekiah
spoke encouragingly to all the Levites, who showed good understanding of the service of
the LORD. For the seven days they ate their assigned portion and offered fellowship
offerings and praised the LORD, the God of their fathers.

2Chr. 31:2 Hezekiah assigned the priests and Levites to
divisions --each of them according to their duties as priests or Levites --to offer
burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, to minister, to give thanks and to sing
praises at the gates of the LORD's dwelling.

3The king contributed from his own possessions for the morning and
evening burnt offerings and for the burnt offerings on the Sabbaths, New Moons and
appointed feasts as written in the Law of the LORD.

2Chr. 34:12 The men did the work faithfully. Over them to direct them
were Jahath and Obadiah, Levites descended from Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam,
descended from Kohath. The Levites --all who were skilled in playing musicalinstruments--

13had charge
of the laborers and supervised all the workers from job to job. Some of the Levites
were secretaries, scribes and doorkeepers.

2Chr. 35:15 The musicians, the descendants of Asaph, were
in the places prescribed by David, Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun the king's seer. The
gatekeepers at each gate did not need to leave their posts, because their fellow Levites
made the preparations for them.

16So at that time the entire service of the LORD was carried out for
the celebration of the Passover and the offering of burnt offerings on the altar of the
LORD, as King Josiah had ordered.

2Chr. 35:25 Jeremiah composed laments for Josiah, and to this
day all the men and women singers commemorate Josiah in the laments. These
became a tradition in Israel and are written in the Laments.

26The other events of Josiah's reign and his
acts of devotion, according to what is written in the Law of the LORD-- 27all the events, from
beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.

Ezra 2:40 The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel (through
the line of Hodaviah) 74.

41The singers: the descendants of Asaph 128. . . . 64The whole company numbered
42,360, 65besides
their 7,337 menservants and maidservants; and they also had 200 men and women singers.

Ezra 2:70 The priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers
and the temple servants settled in their own towns, along with some of the other people,
and the rest of the Israelites settled in their towns.

Ezra 3:10 When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the
LORD, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons
of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the LORD, as prescribed
by David king of Israel.

11With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the LORD:
"He is good; his love to Israel endures forever." And all the people gave a
great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was
laid.

Ezra 7:6 Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the
Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him
everything he asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was on him.

7Some of the Israelites,
including priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers and temple servants, also came up
to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.

Ezra 7:24 [King Artaxerxes, wrote to the treasurers of
Trans-euphrates] You are also to know that you have no authority to impose taxes,
tribute or duty on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple
servants or other workers at this house of God.

Ezra 10:24 From the singers: Eliashib. From the gatekeepers:
Shallum, Telem and Uri.

Neh. 7:1 After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in
place, the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed.

Neh. 7:44 The singers: the descendants of Asaph 148. . .

66The whole company numbered
42,360, 67besides
their 7,337 menservants and maidservants; and they also had 245 men and women singers.
. . . 73The
priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers and the temple servants, along
with certain of the people and the rest of the Israelites, settled in their own towns.

Neh. 10:28 "The rest of the people --priests, Levites,
gatekeepers, singers, temple servants and all who separated themselves from the
neighboring peoples for the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives and all
their sons and daughters who are able to understand--

29all these now join their brothers the nobles, and bind themselves
with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God
and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the LORD our Lord. . .
. 38A priest
descended from Aaron is to accompany the Levites when they receive the tithes, and the
Levites are to bring a tenth of the tithes up to the house of our God, to the storerooms
of the treasury. 39The people of Israel, including the Levites, are to bring their contributions of
grain, new wine and oil to the storerooms where the articles for the sanctuary are kept
and where the ministering priests, the gatekeepers and the singers stay. "We
will not neglect the house of our God."

Neh. 11:22 The chief officer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son
of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica. Uzzi was one of Asaph's
descendants, who were the singers responsible for the service of the house of
God.

23The
singers were under the king's orders, which regulated their daily activity.

Neh. 12:8 The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah,
and also Mattaniah, who, together with his associates, was in charge of the songs
of thanksgiving. . . . 27At the dedication of the
wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to
Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with
the music of cymbals, harps and lyres. 28The singers also were brought together from the region around
Jerusalem --from the villages of the Netophathites, 29from
Beth Gilgal, and from the area of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built
villages for themselves around Jerusalem. 30When
the priests and Levites had purified themselves ceremonially, they purified the people,
the gates and the wall. 31I had the leaders of Judah
go up on top of the wall. I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks.
One was to proceed on top of the wall to the right, toward the Dung Gate. 32Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them, 33along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, 34Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, 35as
well as some priests with trumpets, and also Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of
Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph,
36and his associates --Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai,
Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani --with musicalinstruments
[prescribed by] David the man of God. Ezra the scribe led the procession. 37At the Fountain Gate they continued directly up the steps
of the City of David on the ascent to the wall and passed above the house of David to the
Water Gate on the east. 38The second choir
proceeded in the opposite direction. I followed them on top of the wall, together with
half the people --past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall, 39over the Gate of Ephraim, the Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of
Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate. At the Gate of the Guard
they stopped. 40The two choirs that
gave thanks then took their places in the house of God; so did I, together with half the
officials, 41as well as the priests --Eliakim,
Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah with their trumpets--
42and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi,
Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam and Ezer. The choirssang under the direction of
Jezrahiah. 43And on that day they offered great
sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also
rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away. 44At that time men were
appointed to be in charge of the storerooms for the contributions, firstfruits and tithes.
From the fields around the towns they were to bring into the storerooms the portions
required by the Law for the priests and the Levites, for Judah was pleased with the
ministering priests and Levites. 45They performed the
service of their God and the service of purification, as did also the singers and
gatekeepers, according to the commands of David and his son Solomon. 46For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there had
been directors for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanksgiving
to God. 47So in the days of Zerubbabel and of
Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily portions for the singers and
gatekeepers. They also set aside the portion for the other Levites, and the Levites
set aside the portion for the descendants of Aaron.

Neh. 13:4 Before this, Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of
the storerooms of the house of our God. He was closely associated with Tobiah,

5and he had provided him with
a large room formerly used to store the grain offerings and incense and temple articles,
and also the tithes of grain, new wine and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers
and gatekeepers, as well as the contributions for the priests. . . . 9I gave orders to purify the
rooms, and then I put back into them the equipment of the house of God, with the grain
offerings and the incense. 10I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not
been given to them, and that all the Levites and singers responsible for the
service had gone back to their own fields. 11So I rebuked the officials and asked them, "Why is the
house of God neglected?" Then I called them together and stationed them at their
posts.

Job 21:11 They send forth their children as a flock; their little ones dance
about.

12They sing
to the music of tambourine and harp; they make merry to the sound of
the flute. 13They spend their years in prosperity and go down to the grave in peace.

Job 29:11 Whoever heard me spoke well of me, and those who saw me
commended me,

12because
I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist him. 13The man who was dying
blessed me; I made the widow's heart sing. 14I put on righteousness as my clothing; justice was my robe and my
turban.

Job 30:8 A base and nameless brood, they were driven out of the land.

9"And now their sons
mock me in song; I have become a byword among them. . . . 30My skin grows black and
peels; my body burns with fever. 31My harp is tuned to mourning, and my flute to the
sound of wailing.

Job 35:9 "Men cry out under a load of oppression; they plead for
relief from the arm of the powerful.

10But no one says, `Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in
the night, 11who
teaches more to us than to the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of
the air?'

Job 36:23 Who has prescribed his ways for him, or said to him, `You
have done wrong'?

24Remember to extol his work, which men have praised in song. 25All mankind has seen it;
men gaze on it from afar.

Job 38:1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said:

2"Who is this that
darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? 3Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall
answer me. 4"Where
were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. 5Who marked off its
dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? 6On what were its footings
set, or who laid its cornerstone-- 7while the morning stars sang together and all the angels
shouted for joy?

Introduction: The word Psalms means Songs. The entire book is
primarily composed of songs and poems, songs of praise, of lament, of mourning, or
thanksgiving. Being the longest book of the Bible, it would be impractical to repeat the
book in its entirety here. Therefore, bits and snatches, and some entire chapters have
been repeated here to whet the reader's appetite. It is recommended that the reader obtain
a copy of the Holy Bible and read through the book of Psalms at least once to gain an
appreciation of the music and prayers of the past.

Ps. 5:0 For the director of music. For flutes. A psalm
of David. . . .

10Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them
for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you. 11But let all who take refuge in you be
glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who
love your name may rejoice in you. 12For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them
with your favor as with a shield.

Ps. 7:0 A shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD
concerning Cush, a Benjamite. . . .

17I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and
will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

Ps. 8:0 For the director of music. According to gittith. A psalm
of David.

1O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set
your glory above the heavens.

Ps. 9:0 For the director of music. To [the tune of] "The
Death of the Son." A psalm of David.

1I will praise you, O LORD, with all my
heart; I will tell of all your wonders. 2I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to
your name, O Most High. . . . 10Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have
never forsaken those who seek you. 11Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among
the nations what he has done. 12For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not ignore the cry of
the afflicted. . . . 18defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the
earth, may terrify no more.

Ps. 13:0 For the director of music. A psalm of David.
. . .

5But I
trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. 6I will sing to the
LORD, for he has been good to me.

Ps. 18:0 For the director of music. Of David the servant
of the LORD. He sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD
delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:

1I love you, O LORD, my
strength. . . . 48You exalted me above my foes; from violent men you rescued me. 49Therefore I will praise you
among the nations, O LORD; I will sing praises to your name. 50He gives his king great
victories; he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed, to David and his
descendants forever.

1The heavens
declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. . . . 14May the words of my
mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my
Redeemer.

Ps. 21:0 For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1O LORD, the
king rejoices in your strength. How great is his joy in the victories you give! . . . 13Be exalted, O LORD, in your
strength; we will sing and praise your might.

Ps. 22:0 For the director of music. To [the tune of] "The
Doe of the Morning." A psalm of David.

1My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?

Ps. 27:5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his
dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.

6Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the LORD. 7Hear my voice when I call, O LORD; be merciful to me and answer
me.

7The LORD is my strength
and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I
will give thanks to him in song. 8The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation
for his anointed one.

Ps. 30:0 A psalm. A song. For the dedication of the
temple. Of David.

1I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my
enemies gloat over me. 2O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me. 33O LORD, you brought me up
from the grave; you spared me from going down into the pit. 4Sing to the LORD, you saints of his;
praise his holy name. 5For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may
remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. . . . 11You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, 12that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my
God, I will give you thanks forever.

Ps. 31:0 For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1In you, O LORD,
I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness.

Ps. 32:6 Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may
be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.

7You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
Selah 8I will
instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over
you. 9Do not
be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit
and bridle or they will not come to you. 10Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD's unfailing love
surrounds the man who trusts in him. 11Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing,
all you who are upright in heart!

Ps. 33:1 Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting
for the upright to praise him.

2Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on
the ten-stringed lyre. 3Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout
for joy. 4For
the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.

Ps. 40:0 For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

1I waited
patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. 2He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of
the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 3He put a new song in
my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust
in the LORD. 4Blessed
is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn
aside to false gods.

Ps. 42:0 For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of
Korah.

1As the
deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. 2My soul thirsts for God, for
the living God. When can I go and meet with God? 3My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all
day long, "Where is your God?" 4These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go
with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and
thanksgiving among the festive throng. 5Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put
your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and 6my God. My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon --from
Mount Mizar. 7Deep
calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over
me. 8By day the
LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me-- a prayer to the God of my
life. 9I say to
God my Rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by
the enemy?" 10My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long,
"Where is your God?" 11Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put
your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

Ps. 43:3 Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let
them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.

4Then will I go to the altar
of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my
God. 5Why are
you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet
praise him, my Savior and my God.

Ps. 45:0 For the director of music. To [the tune of]
"Lilies." Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil. A wedding song.

1My heart is stirred by a
noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.

Ps. 45:7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God,
your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.

8All your robes are fragrant
with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces adorned with ivory the music of the
strings makes you glad. 9Daughters of kings are among your honored women; at your right
hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir. . . . 17I will perpetuate your memory through all generations; therefore
the nations will praise you for ever and ever.

Ps. 46:0 For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah.
According to alamoth. A song.

1Clap your
hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. 2How awesome is the LORD Most High, the
great King over all the earth! 3He subdued nations under us, peoples under our feet. 4He chose our inheritance for
us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved. Selah 5God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the LORD amid the sounding of
trumpets. 6Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our
King, sing praises. 7For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm
of praise. 8God
reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne. 9The nobles of the nations assemble as the
people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God; he is greatly
exalted.

Ps. 48:0 A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.

1Great is the LORD, and
most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain.

Ps. 49:0 For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

1Hear this, all
you peoples; listen, all who live in this world, 2both low and high, rich and poor alike: 3My mouth will speak words of
wisdom; the utterance from my heart will give understanding. 4I will turn my ear to a proverb; with the harp
I will expound my riddle: . . .

Ps. 51:0 For the director of music. A psalm of David.
When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

1Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my
transgressions. . . . 13Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. 14Save me from bloodguilt,
O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. 15O Lord, open my lips, and
my mouth will declare your praise. . . . 19Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to
delight you; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Ps. 52:0 For the director of music. A maskil of David.
When Doeg the Edomite had gone to Saul and told him: "David has gone to the house of
Ahimelech."

1Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man? Why do you boast all day long, you who
are a disgrace in the eyes of God?

Ps. 53:0 For the director of music. According to mahalath. A
maskil of David.

1The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and
their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.

Ps. 54:0 For the director of music. With stringed instruments.
A maskil of David. When the Ziphites had gone to Saul and said, "Is not David
hiding among us?"

Ps. 57:0 For the director of music. [To the tune of] "Do
Not Destroy." Of David. A miktam. When he had fled from Saul into the cave.

1Have mercy on me, O God,
have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of
your wings until the disaster has passed. . . . 6They spread a net for my feet-- I was bowed down in distress. They
dug a pit in my path-- but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah 7My heart is steadfast, O
God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. 8Awake, my soul! Awake, harp
and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. 9I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing
of you among the peoples. 10For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness
reaches to the skies. 11Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.

Ps. 58:0 For the director of music. [To the tune of] "Do
Not Destroy." Of David. A miktam.

1Do you rulers indeed speak justly? Do you judge uprightly among
men?

Ps. 59:0 For the director of music. [To the tune of] "Do
Not Destroy." Of David. A miktam. When Saul had sent men to watch David's
house in order to kill him.

1Deliver me from my enemies, O God; protect me from those who rise
up against me. . . . 15They wander about for food and howl if not satisfied. 16But I will sing of your
strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my
refuge in times of trouble. 17O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my
fortress, my loving God.

Ps. 60:0 For the director of music. To [the tune of] "The
Lily of the Covenant." A miktam of David. For teaching. When he fought Aram
Naharaim and Aram Zobah, and when Joab returned and struck down twelve thousand Edomites
in the Valley of Salt.

1You have rejected us, O God, and burst forth upon us; you have been angry --now
restore us!

Ps. 61:0 For the director of music. With stringed instruments.
Of David.

1Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. 2From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows
faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 3For you have been my refuge, a strong tower
against the foe. 4I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your
wings. Selah 5For you have heard my vows, O God; you have given me the heritage of those who
fear your name. 6Increase
the days of the king's life, his years for many generations. 7May he be enthroned in God's presence
forever; appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him. 8Then will I ever sing praise to your
name and fulfill my vows day after day.

Ps. 63:4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will
lift up my hands.

5My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing
lips my mouth will praise you. 6On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of
the night. 7Because
you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. 8My soul clings to you; your right hand
upholds me.

Ps. 65:0 For the director of music. A psalm of David.
A song.

1Praise
awaits you, O God, in Zion; to you our vows will be fulfilled. 2O you who hear prayer, to you all men will
come. 3When
we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions. 4Blessed are those you choose
and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house,
of your holy temple. 5You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of
all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, 6who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with
strength, 7who
stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the
nations. 8Those
living far away fear your wonders; where morning dawns and evening fades you call forth
songs of joy. 9You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God
are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. 10You drench its furrows and
level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops. 11You crown the year with
your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. 12The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with
gladness. 13The
meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy
and sing.

1Shout with joy
to God, all the earth! 2Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious! 3Say to God, "How
awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. 4All the earth bows down to
you; they sing praise to you, they sing praise to your name." Selah 5Come and see what God has
done, how awesome his works in man's behalf!

Ps. 67:0 For the director of music. With stringed instruments.
A psalm. A song.

1May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine
upon us, Selah 2that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. 3May the peoples praise you,
O God; may all the peoples praise you. 4May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the
peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth. Selah 5May the peoples praise you, O God; may all
the peoples praise you. 6Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us. 7God will bless us, and all
the ends of the earth will fear him.

1May
God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him. 2As smoke is blown away by
the wind, may you blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish
before God. 3But
may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. 4Sing to God, sing
praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds-- his name is the LORD-- and rejoice
before him. 5A father to the fatherless, a
defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. 6God
sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but
the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. 7When you went out before
your people, O God, when you marched through the wasteland, Selah 8the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of
Sinai, before God, the God of Israel. 9You gave
abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance. 10Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, O God, you provided for
the poor. 11The Lord announced the
word, and great was the company of those who proclaimed it: 12"Kings
and armies flee in haste; in the camps men divide the plunder. 13Even while you sleep among the campfires, the wings of [my] dove are
sheathed with silver, its feathers with shining gold." 14When
the Almighty scattered the kings in the land, it was like snow fallen on Zalmon. 15The mountains of Bashan
are majestic mountains; rugged are the mountains of Bashan. 16Why
gaze in envy, O rugged mountains, at the mountain where God chooses to reign, where the
LORD himself will dwell forever? 17The chariots of
God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands; the Lord [has come] from Sinai into
his sanctuary. 18When you ascended on high,
you led captives in your train; you received gifts from men, even from the rebellious--
that you, O LORD God, might dwell there. 19Praise be to the Lord,
to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah 20Our
God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death. 21Surely God will crush the
heads of his enemies, the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins. 22The Lord says, "I will bring them from Bashan; I
will bring them from the depths of the sea, 23that
you may plunge your feet in the blood of your foes, while the tongues of your dogs have
their share." 24Your procession has come into
view, O God, the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary. 25In front are the singers, after them the musicians; with
them are the maidens playing tambourines. 26Praise
God in the great congregation; praise the LORD in the assembly of Israel. 27There is the little tribe of Benjamin, leading them,
there the great throng of Judah's princes, and there the princes of Zebulun and of
Naphtali. 28Summon your power, O God;
show us your strength, O God, as you have done before. 29Because
of your temple at Jerusalem kings will bring you gifts. 30Rebuke
the beast among the reeds, the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations. Humbled, may
it bring bars of silver. Scatter the nations who delight in war. 31Envoys will come from Egypt; Cush will submit herself to God. 32Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing
praise to the Lord, Selah33to him who rides
the ancient skies above, who thunders with mighty voice. 34Proclaim
the power of God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose power is in the skies. 35You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary; the God of
Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!

Ps. 69:0 For the director of music. To [the tune of]
"Lilies." Of David.

1Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. . . . 10When I weep and fast, I
must endure scorn; 11when I put on sackcloth, people make sport of me. 12Those who sit at the gate mock me, and I
am the song of the drunkards. 13But I pray to you, O LORD, in the time of your favor; in your
great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation. . . . 29I am in pain and distress; may your
salvation, O God, protect me. 30I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with
thanksgiving. 31This will please the LORD more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and
hoofs. . . . 34Let
heaven and earth praise him, the seas and all that move in them, 35for God will save Zion and
rebuild the cities of Judah. Then people will settle there and possess it; 36the children of his
servants will inherit it, and those who love his name will dwell there.

22I will praise you with the harp
for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praise to you with the lyre, O
Holy One of Israel. 23My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you-- I, whom you have
redeemed. 24My
tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have
been put to shame and confusion.

Ps. 75:0 For the director of music. [To the tune of] "Do
Not Destroy." A psalm of Asaph. A song.

1We give thanks to you, O
God, we give thanks, for your Name is near; men tell of your wonderful deeds. . . . 8In the hand of the LORD is a
cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the
earth drink it down to its very dregs. 9As for me, I will declare this forever; I will sing praise
to the God of Jacob. 10I will cut off the horns of all the wicked, but the horns of the righteous will
be lifted up.

Ps. 76:0 For the director of music. With stringed instruments.
A psalm of Asaph. A song.

1In Judah God is known; his name is great in Israel. . . . 12He breaks the spirit of
rulers; he is feared by the kings of the earth.

Ps. 77:0 For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph.
A psalm.

1I
cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. . . . 5I thought about the former
days, the years of long ago; 6I remembered my songs in the night. My heart mused and my
spirit inquired: 7"Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again?

Ps. 78:62 He gave his people over to the sword; he was very angry with
his inheritance.

63Fire consumed their young men, and their maidens had no wedding songs;
64their priests
were put to the sword, and their widows could not weep.

Ps. 80:0 For the director of music. To [the tune of] "The
Lilies of the Covenant." Of Asaph. A psalm.

1Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead
Joseph like a flock; you who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth . . . 19Restore us, O LORD God
Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.

1Sing
for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob! 2Begin the music,
strike the tambourine, play the melodious harp and lyre. 3Sound the ram's horn
at the New Moon, and when the moon is full, on the day of our Feast; 4this is a decree for Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob.

Ps. 84:0 For the director of music. According to gittith. Of the
Sons of Korah. A psalm.

1He has set his foundation on
the holy mountain; . . . 6The LORD will write in the register of the peoples: "This one was born in
Zion." Selah 7As they make music they will sing, "All my fountains are in
you."

Ps. 88:0 A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. For the
director of music. According to mahalath leannoth. A maskil of Heman the Ezrahite.

1O LORD, the God who saves
me, day and night I cry out before you.

Ps. 89:0 A maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.

1I will sing of the LORD's great love
forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. 2I will declare that your
love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself. . . . 11The heavens are yours, and
yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it. 12You created the north and
the south; Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name. 13Your arm is endued with power; your hand
is strong, your right hand exalted.

Ps. 90:13 Relent, O LORD! How long will it be? Have compassion on your
servants.

14Satisfy
us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad
all our days. 15Make
us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen
trouble.

Ps. 92:0 A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day.

1It is good to praise the
LORD and make music to your name, O Most High, 2to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at
night, 3to the music
of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp. 4For you make me glad by your
deeds, O LORD; I sing for joy at the works of your hands. 5How great are your works, O
LORD, how profound your thoughts!

Ps. 96:1 Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to
the LORD, all the earth.

2Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his
salvation day after day. 3Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all
peoples. 4For
great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. 5For all the gods of the
nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. 6Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his
sanctuary. 7Ascribe
to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 8Ascribe to the LORD the
glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts. 9Worship the LORD in the
splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth. 10Say among the nations, "The LORD
reigns." The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the
peoples with equity. 11Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that
is in it; 12let
the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing
for joy; 13they
will sing before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge
the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth.

1Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done
marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. 2The LORD has made his
salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. 3He has remembered his love and his
faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of
our God. 4Shout
for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music;
5make music
to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing,
6with trumpets
and the blast of the ram's horn-- shout for joy before the LORD, the King. 7Let the sea resound, and
everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. 8Let the rivers clap their hands, let the
mountains sing together for joy; 9let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the
earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.

Ps. 100:1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

2Worship the LORD with
gladness; come before him with joyful songs. 3Know that the LORD is God. It is he who
made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Ps. 101:0 Of David. A psalm.

1I will sing of your love and
justice; to you, O LORD, I will sing praise. 2I will be careful to lead a blameless life-- when will you come to
me? I will walk in my house with blameless heart.

Ps. 104:11 They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild
donkeys quench their thirst.

12The birds of the air nest by the waters; they sing among
the branches. 13He
waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of his
work.

Ps. 104:31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD
rejoice in his works--

32he who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they
smoke. 33I will sing
to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. 34May my meditation be
pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD.

Ps. 105:1 Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among
the nations what he has done.

2Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his
wonderful acts. 3Glory
in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

Ps. 106:11 The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them
survived.

12Then
they believed his promises and sang his praise. 13But they soon forgot what he had done and
did not wait for his counsel.

Ps. 107:21 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and
his wonderful deeds for men.

22Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs
of joy. 23Others
went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. . . . 43Whoever is wise, let him
heed these things and consider the great love of the LORD.

Ps. 108:0 A song. A psalm of David.

1My heart is steadfast, O
God; I will sing and make music with all my soul. 2Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn. 3I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing of you among the
peoples. 4For
great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

Ps. 118:14 The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become
my salvation.

15Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: "The LORD's
right hand has done mighty things!

Ps. 119:54 Your decrees are the theme of my song wherever I
lodge. . . .

172May
my tongue sing of your word, for all your commands are righteous.

Ps. 120:0 A song of ascents.

1I call on the LORD in my distress, and he
answers me.

Ps. 121:0 A song of ascents.

1I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where
does my help come from?

Ps. 122:0 A song of ascents. Of David.

1I rejoiced with those who
said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD."

Ps. 123:0 A song of ascents.

1I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose
throne is in heaven.

Ps. 124:0 A song of ascents. Of David.

1If the LORD had not been on
our side-- let Israel say-- 2if the LORD had not been on our side when men attacked us, 3when their anger flared
against us, they would have swallowed us alive; 4the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept
over us, 5the
raging waters would have swept us away. 6Praise be to the LORD, who has not let us be torn by their teeth. 7We have escaped like a bird
out of the fowler's snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped. 8Our help is in the name of
the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Ps. 125:0 A song of ascents.

1Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount
Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.

1When the LORD brought back the captives to
Zion, we were like men who dreamed. 2Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs
of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for
them." 3The
LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. 4Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams
in the Negev. 5Those
who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. 6He who goes out weeping, carrying seed
to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.

Ps. 127:0 A song of ascents. Of Solomon.

1Unless the LORD builds the
house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen
stand guard in vain.

Ps. 128:0 A song of ascents.

1Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk
in his ways.

Ps. 132:0 A song of ascents.

1O LORD, remember David and all the
hardships he endured. . . . 8arise, O LORD, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of
your might. 9May
your priests be clothed with righteousness; may your saints sing for joy." 10For the sake of David your
servant, do not reject your anointed one. . . . 15I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor will I satisfy
with food. 16I
will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints will ever sing for joy. 17"Here I will make a horn
grow for David and set up a lamp for my anointed one. 18I will clothe his enemies with shame, but the crown on his head
will be resplendent."

Ps. 133:0 A song of ascents. Of David.

1How good and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity!

Ps. 134:0 A song of ascents.

1Praise the LORD, all you servants of the
LORD who minister by night in the house of the LORD.

Ps. 135:1 Praise the LORD. Praise the name of the LORD; praise him, you
servants of the LORD,

2you who minister in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God.
3Praise the
LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant. 4For the LORD has chosen
Jacob to be his own, Israel to be his treasured possession.

Ps. 137:1 By the
rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.

2There on the poplars we hung our harps,
3for there our
captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said,
"Sing us one of the songs of Zion!" 4How can we sing the songs of
the LORD while in a foreign land? 5If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget [its
skill].

Ps. 138:0 Of David.

1I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; before the
"gods" I will sing your praise. 2I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name
for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and
your word. 3When
I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted. 4May all the kings of the earth praise you,
O LORD, when they hear the words of your mouth. 5May they sing of the ways of the LORD, for the glory of the
LORD is great. 6Though
the LORD is on high, he looks upon the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar. 7Though I walk in the midst
of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes,
with your right hand you save me. 8The LORD will fulfill [his purpose] for me; your love, O LORD,
endures forever-- do not abandon the works of your hands.

Ps. 139:0 For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

1O LORD, you
have searched me and you know me. . . . 24See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way
everlasting.

Ps. 144:9 I will sing a new song to you, O God; on the
ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you,

10to the One who gives victory to kings, who
delivers his servant David from the deadly sword.

Ps. 145:6 They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I
will proclaim your great deeds.

7They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing
of your righteousness. 8The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich
in love.

Ps. 146:1 Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.

2I will praise the LORD all
my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. 3Do not put your trust in
princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.

Ps. 147:1 Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to
our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!

2The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel.

Ps. 147:6 The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the
ground.

7Sing
to the LORD with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp. 8He covers the sky with
clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills.

Ps. 149:1 Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song,
his praise in the assembly of the saints.

2Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad
in their King. 3Let
them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine
and harp. 4For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.
5Let the
saints rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds.

Ps. 150:1 Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him
in his mighty heavens.

2Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing
greatness. 3Praise
him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre,
4praise him
with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute,
5praise him
with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. 6Let everything that has
breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.

Prov. 25:19 Like a bad tooth or a lame foot is reliance on the
unfaithful in times of trouble.

20Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, or like
vinegar poured on soda, is one who singssongs to a heavy heart.

Prov. 29:6 An evil man is snared by his own sin, but a righteous one
can sing and be glad.

7The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have
no such concern.

Eccl. 2:8 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of
kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well --the
delights of the heart of man.

9I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all
this my wisdom stayed with me.

Eccl. 7:5 It is better to heed a wise man's rebuke than to listen to
the song of fools.

6Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of
fools. This too is meaningless.

Eccl. 12:1 Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, "I find no
pleasure in them"--

2before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds
return after the rain; 3when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men stoop, when the
grinders cease because they are few, and those looking through the windows grow dim; 4when the doors to the street
are closed and the sound of grinding fades; when men rise up at the sound of birds, but
all their songs grow faint; 5when men are afraid of heights and of dangers in the streets; when
the almond tree blossoms and the grasshopper drags himself along and desire no longer is
stirred. Then man goes to his eternal home and mourners go about the streets. 6Remember him --before the
silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at
the spring, or the wheel broken at the well, 7and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit
returns to God who gave it.

Song 1:1 Solomon's Song of Songs.

2Let him kiss me with the
kisses of his mouth-- for your love is more delightful than wine.

Song 2:11 See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone.

12Flowers appear on the
earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our
land. 13The fig
tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my
darling; my beautiful one, come with me."

Isa. 5:1 I will sing for the one I love a song about his
vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside.

2He dug it up and cleared it of stones and
planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as
well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit. . . . 11Woe to those who rise
early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are
inflamed with wine. 12They have harps and lyres at their banquets, tambourines
and flutes and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD, no respect
for the work of his hands. 13Therefore my people will go into exile for lack of understanding;
their men of rank will die of hunger and their masses will be parched with thirst.

Isa. 12:1 In that day you will say: "I will praise you, O LORD.
Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me.

2Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he
has become my salvation." 3With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4In that day you will say:
"Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has
done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. 5Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this
be known to all the world. 6Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is
the Holy One of Israel among you."

Isa. 14:5 The LORD has broken the rod of the wicked, the scepter of the
rulers,

6which
in anger struck down peoples with unceasing blows, and in fury subdued nations with
relentless aggression. 7All the lands are at rest and at peace; they break into singing. 8Even the pine trees and the
cedars of Lebanon exult over you and say, "Now that you have been laid low, no
woodsman comes to cut us down." . . . 11All your pomp has been brought down to the grave, along with the
noise of your harps; maggots are spread out beneath you and worms cover you.

Isa. 16:9 So I weep, as Jazer weeps, for the vines of Sibmah. O
Heshbon, O Elealeh, I drench you with tears! The shouts of joy over your ripened fruit and
over your harvests have been stilled.

10Joy and gladness are taken away from the orchards; no one sings
or shouts in the vineyards; no one treads out wine at the presses, for I have put an end
to the shouting. 11My heart laments for Moab like a harp, my inmost being for Kir
Hareseth.

Isa. 23:14 Wail, you ships of Tarshish; your fortress is destroyed!

15At that time Tyre will be
forgotten for seventy years, the span of a king's life. But at the end of these seventy
years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute: 16"Take up a harp,
walk through the city, O prostitute forgotten; play the harp well, sing many
a song, so that you will be remembered." 17At the end of seventy years, the LORD will
deal with Tyre. She will return to her hire as a prostitute and will ply her trade with
all the kingdoms on the face of the earth.

Isa. 24:1 See, the LORD is going to lay waste the earth and devastate
it; he will ruin its face and scatter its inhabitants-- . . .

8The gaiety of the tambourines is
stilled, the noise of the revelers has stopped, the joyful harp is silent. 9No longer do they drink
wine with a song; the beer is bitter to its drinkers. 10The ruined city lies
desolate; the entrance to every house is barred. 11In the streets they cry out for wine; all joy turns to gloom, all
gaiety is banished from the earth. 12The city is left in ruins, its gate is battered to pieces. 13So will it be on the earth
and among the nations, as when an olive tree is beaten, or as when gleanings are left
after the grape harvest. 14They raise their voices, they shout for joy; from the west they
acclaim the LORD's majesty. 15Therefore in the east give glory to the LORD; exalt the name of
the LORD, the God of Israel, in the islands of the sea. 16From the ends of the earth we hear singing:
"Glory to the Righteous One." But I said, "I waste away, I waste away! Woe
to me! The treacherous betray! With treachery the treacherous betray!"

Isa. 25:4 You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy
in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the
ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall

5and like the heat of the desert. You silence the uproar of
foreigners; as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud, so the song of the
ruthless is stilled.

Isa. 26:1 In that day this song will be sung in the land
of Judah: We have a strong city; God makes salvation its walls and ramparts.

2Open the gates that the
righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith. 3You will keep in perfect peace him whose
mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. 4Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock
eternal.

Isa. 27:1 In that day, the LORD will punish with his sword, his fierce,
great and powerful sword, Leviathan the gliding serpent, Leviathan the coiling serpent; he
will slay the monster of the sea.

2In that day-- "Sing about a fruitful vineyard: 3I, the LORD, watch over it;
I water it continually. I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it.

Isa. 30:27 See, the Name of the LORD comes from afar, with burning
anger and dense clouds of smoke; his lips are full of wrath, and his tongue is a consuming
fire.

28His
breath is like a rushing torrent, rising up to the neck. He shakes the nations in the
sieve of destruction; he places in the jaws of the peoples a bit that leads them astray. 29And you will sing
as on the night you celebrate a holy festival; your hearts will rejoice as when people go
up with flutes to the mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of Israel. 30The LORD will cause men to
hear his majestic voice and will make them see his arm coming down with raging anger and
consuming fire, with cloudburst, thunderstorm and hail. 31The voice of the LORD will shatter
Assyria; with his scepter he will strike them down. 32Every stroke the LORD lays on them with his punishing rod will be
to the music of tambourines and harps, as he fights them in battle
with the blows of his arm.

Isa. 35:1 The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness
will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus,

2it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for
joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they
will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. 3Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the
knees that give way; 4say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will
come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you."
5Then will
the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. 6Then will the lame leap
like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the
wilderness and streams in the desert. 7The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling
springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. 8And a highway will be there;
it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for
those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it. 9No lion will be there, nor
will any ferocious beast get up on it; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed
will walk there, 10and the ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow
and sighing will flee away.

Isa. 38:18 For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing
your praise; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness.

19The living, the living
--they praise you, as I am doing today; fathers tell their children about your
faithfulness. 20The
LORD will save me, and we will sing with stringed instruments all the days
of our lives in the temple of the LORD.

Isa. 42:10 Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise
from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you
islands, and all who live in them.

11Let the desert and its towns raise their voices; let the
settlements where Kedar lives rejoice. Let the people of Sela sing for joy; let
them shout from the mountaintops. 12Let them give glory to the LORD and proclaim his praise in the
islands.

Isa. 44:22 I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like
the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you."

23Sing for joy, O heavens, for the
LORD has done this; shout aloud, O earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains,
you forests and all your trees, for the LORD has redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in
Israel.

Isa. 49:12 See, they will come from afar-- some from the north, some
from the west, some from the region of Aswan. "

13Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song,
O mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted
ones. 14But Zion
said, "The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me." 15"Can a mother
forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though
she may forget, I will not forget you! 16See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your
walls are ever before me. 17Your sons hasten back, and those who laid you waste depart from
you. 18Lift up
your eyes and look around; all your sons gather and come to you. As surely as I
live," declares the LORD, "you will wear them all as ornaments; you will put
them on, like a bride.

Isa. 51:3 The LORD will surely comfort Zion and will look with
compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the
garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing.

4"Listen to
me, my people; hear me, my nation: The law will go out from me; my justice will become a
light to the nations. . . . 10Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep,
who made a road in the depths of the sea so that the redeemed might cross over? 11The ransomed of the LORD
will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their
heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

Isa. 52:8 Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they
shout for joy. When the LORD returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes.

9Burst into songs of
joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted his people, he has
redeemed Jerusalem. 10The LORD will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the
ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.

Isa. 54:1 "Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a
child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more
are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband," says the LORD.

Isa. 55:10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not
return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields
seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

11so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to
me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. 12You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

Isa. 65:13 Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "My
servants will eat, but you will go hungry; my servants will drink, but you will go
thirsty; my servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame.

14My servants will sing
out of the joy of their hearts, but you will cry out from anguish of heart and wail in
brokenness of spirit.

Jer. 20:12 O LORD Almighty, you who examine the righteous and probe the
heart and mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you I have committed my cause.

13Sing to
the LORD! Give praise to the LORD! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the
wicked.

Jer. 30:18 "This is what the LORD says: "`I will restore the
fortunes of Jacob's tents and have compassion on his dwellings; the city will be rebuilt
on her ruins, and the palace will stand in its proper place.

19From them will come songs of
thanksgiving and the sound of rejoicing. I will add to their numbers, and they will
not be decreased; I will bring them honor, and they will not be disdained.

Jer. 31:3 The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have
loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.

4I will build you up again
and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines
and go out to dance with the joyful. 5Again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria; the
farmers will plant them and enjoy their fruit. 6There will be a day when watchmen cry out on the hills of Ephraim,
`Come, let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God.'" 7This is what the LORD says: "Sing
with joy for Jacob; shout for the foremost of the nations. Make your praises heard, and
say, `O LORD, save your people, the remnant of Israel.' 8See, I will bring them from the land of the
north and gather them from the ends of the earth. Among them will be the blind and the
lame, expectant mothers and women in labor; a great throng will return.

Jer. 48:35 In Moab I will put an end to those who make offerings on the
high places and burn incense to their gods," declares the LORD.

36"So my heart laments
for Moab like a flute; it laments like a flute for the men of Kir
Hareseth. The wealth they acquired is gone.

Lam. 3:13 He pierced my heart with arrows from his quiver.

14I became the laughingstock
of all my people; they mock me in song all day long. 15He has filled me with bitter herbs and
sated me with gall. . . . 61O LORD, you have heard their insults, all their plots against me--
62what my
enemies whisper and mutter against me all day long. 63Look at them! Sitting or standing, they mock me in their songs.
64Pay them back
what they deserve, O LORD, for what their hands have done.

Lam. 5:13 Young men toil at the millstones; boys stagger under loads of
wood.

14The
elders are gone from the city gate; the young men have stopped their music. 15Joy is gone from our
hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning.

Ezek. 26:7 "For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: From the
north I am going to bring against Tyre Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with
horses and chariots, with horsemen and a great army. . . .

12They will plunder your wealth and loot
your merchandise; they will break down your walls and demolish your fine houses and throw
your stones, timber and rubble into the sea. 13I will put an end to your noisy songs, and the music
of your harps will be heard no more. 14I will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread
fishnets. You will never be rebuilt, for I the LORD have spoken, declares the Sovereign
LORD.

Ezek. 28:13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious
stone adorned you: ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite, onyx and jasper, sapphire,
turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were
created they were prepared.

14You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you.
You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. 15You were blameless in
your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. 16Through your widespread
trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the
mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. 17Your heart became proud on
account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw
you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings.

Commentary: The King James Version of the Bible translates the
underlined portion of verse 13 as follows: "the workmanship of thy tabrets and of
thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created." Tabrets are
tambourines, and pipes are flutes. All other versions that I have seen translate that
passage more like the NIV, though the NASB footnotes the settings and sockets (mountings)
as possibly meaning tambourines and flutes.

Ezek. 33:31 My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit
before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their
mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain.

32Indeed, to them you are
nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays
an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.

Dan. 3:1 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high
and nine feet wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.

2He then summoned the
satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other
provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. 3So the satraps, prefects,
governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial
officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up,
and they stood before it. 4Then the herald loudly
proclaimed, "This is what you are commanded to do, O peoples, nations and men of
every language: 5As soon as you hear the sound of the
horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all
kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King
Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6Whoever does not fall
down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace." 7Therefore, as soon as they
heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp
and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and men of every language fell
down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

8

At this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the Jews.
9They said to
King Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever! 10You have issued a decree, O king, that everyone who hears the
sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes
and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, 11and that whoever does not
fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12But there are some Jews whom you have set
over the affairs of the province of Babylon --Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego --who pay no
attention to you, O king. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you
have set up." 13Furious with rage,
Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before
the king, 14and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is
it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the
image of gold I have set up? 15Now when you hear the
sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes
and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made,
very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing
furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?"

16

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before
you in this matter. 17If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us
from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18But even if he does not, we want you to
know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set
up." 19Then Nebuchadnezzar was
furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He
ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20and
commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 1So
these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown
into the blazing furnace. 22The king's command was so
urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23and these three
men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. 24Then King Nebuchadnezzar
leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that
we tied up and threw into the fire?"
They replied, "Certainly, O king." 25He said, "Look! I see
four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a
son of the gods." 26Nebuchadnezzar then
approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, "Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!"
So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, 27and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers
crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair
of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on
them. 28Then Nebuchadnezzar said,
"Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and
rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing
to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or
language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into
pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this
way." 30Then the king promoted
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

Hosea 2:14 "Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead
her into the desert and speak tenderly to her.

15There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley
of Achor a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the
day she came up out of Egypt. 16"In that day," declares the LORD, "you will call me
`my husband'; you will no longer call me `my master. '

Amos 8:1 This is what the Sovereign LORD showed me: a basket of ripe
fruit.

2"What
do you see, Amos?" he asked. "A basket of ripe fruit," I answered. Then the
LORD said to me, "The time is ripe for my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.
3"In that
day," declares the Sovereign LORD, "the songs in the temple will turn to
wailing. Many, many bodies --flung everywhere! Silence!" . . . 9"In that day,"
declares the Sovereign LORD, "I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the
earth in broad daylight. 10I will turn your religious feasts into mourning and all your singing
into weeping. I will make all of you wear sackcloth and shave your heads. I will make
that time like mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day.

Jonah 2:8 "Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace
that could be theirs.

9But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have
vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD." 10And the LORD commanded the fish, and it
vomited Jonah onto dry land.

Micah 2:3 Therefore, the LORD says: "I am planning disaster
against this people, from which you cannot save yourselves. You will no longer walk
proudly, for it will be a time of calamity.

4In that day men will ridicule you; they will taunt you with this
mournful song: `We are utterly ruined; my people's possession is divided up. He
takes it from me! He assigns our fields to traitors.'" 5Therefore you will have no one in the
assembly of the LORD to divide the land by lot.

Hab. 3:17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on
the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no
sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,

18yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
19The Sovereign
LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the
heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

Zeph. 3:13 The remnant of Israel will do no wrong; they will speak
no lies, nor will deceit be found in their mouths. They will eat and lie down and no one
will make them afraid."

14Sing, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad
and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem! 15The LORD has taken away your punishment,
he has turned back your enemy. The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will
you fear any harm. 16On that day they will say to Jerusalem, "Do not fear, O Zion; do not let
your hands hang limp. 17The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight
in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

Matt. 9:23 When Jesus entered the ruler's house and saw the fluteplayers and the noisy crowd,

24he said, "Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep." But
they laughed at him.

Matt. 11:16 "To what can I compare this generation? They are like
children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others:

17"`We played the flute
for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not
mourn.' 18For
John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, `He has a demon.' 19The Son of Man came eating
and drinking, and they say, `Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors
and "sinners." ' But wisdom is proved right by her actions."

Matt. 26:29 I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from
now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom."

30When they had sung a
hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Mark 14:25 "I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the
fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God."

26When they had sung a
hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Luke 7:31 "To what, then, can I compare the people of this
generation? What are they like?

32They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out
to each other: "`We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we
sang a dirge, and you did not cry.' 33For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine,
and you say, `He has a demon.' 34The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, `Here is a
glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ' 35But wisdom is proved right
by all her children."

Luke 15:20 So [the prodigal son] got up and went to his father.
"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with
compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

21"The son said to him,
`Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called
your son. ' 22"But
the father said to his servants, `Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring
on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and
celebrate. 24For
this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they
began to celebrate. 25"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he
heard music and dancing. 26So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27`Your brother has come,' he
replied, `and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and
sound.'

Acts 16:22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and
the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten.

23After they had been severely flogged, they
were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24Upon receiving such orders,
he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25About midnight Paul and
Silas were praying and singinghymns to God, and the other prisoners were
listening to them. 26Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison
were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose.

Rom. 15:8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews
on behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs

9so that the Gentiles may
glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: "Therefore I will praise you among the
Gentiles; I will singhymns to your name." 10Again, it says, "Rejoice, O Gentiles,
with his people." 11And again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to
him, all you peoples."

1Cor. 14:6 Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what
good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word
of instruction?

7Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the flute or
harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction
in the notes? 8Again,
if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? 9So it is with you. Unless
you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying?
You will just be speaking into the air. 10Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet
none of them is without meaning. 11If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am
a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me. 12So it is with you. Since you are eager to
have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church. 13For this reason anyone
who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says. 14For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind
is unfruitful. 15So what shall I do? I will pray
with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but
I will also sing with my mind. 16If you
are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not
understand say "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are
saying? 17You may be giving thanks well enough, but
the other man is not edified. 18I thank God that I speak
in tongues more than all of you. 19But in the church I
would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a
tongue. 20Brothers, stop thinking like children.
In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults. 21In the Law it is written: "Through men of strange tongues and
through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not
listen to me," says the Lord. 22Tongues, then, are a
sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for
unbelievers. 23So if the whole church comes
together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some
unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while
everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be
judged by all, 25and the secrets of his heart will be
laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among
you!" 26What then shall we say,
brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a
revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the
strengthening of the church. 27If anyone
speaks in a tongue, two --or at the most three --should speak, one at a time, and someone
must interpret. 28If there is no interpreter,
the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God. 29Two or three prophets
should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 30And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first
speaker should stop. 31For you can all prophesy in
turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. 32The
spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. 33For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.

1Cor. 15:51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we
will all be changed--

52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.
For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be
changed. 53For
the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
54When the
perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then
the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in
victory." 55"Where,
O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"

Eph. 5:18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead,
be filled with the Spirit.

19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and
spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to
God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Col. 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members
of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

16Let the word of Christ dwell in you
richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you singpsalms,
hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do,
whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the
Father through him.

1Ths. 4:15 According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who
are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede
those who have fallen asleep.

16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud
command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the
dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up
together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the
Lord forever. 18Therefore
encourage each other with these words.

Hebr. 2:11 Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy
are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.

12He says, "I will
declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing
your praises." 13And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again he says, "Here
am I, and the children God has given me."

James 5:13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone
happy? Let him singsongs of praise.

14Is any one of you sick? He should call the
elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.

Rev. 5:7 He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat
on the throne.

8And
when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down
before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of
incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to
take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you
purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10You have made them to be a
kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." 11Then I looked and heard the
voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten
thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12In a loud voice they sang:
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and
strength and honor and glory and praise!" 13Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the
earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on
the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and
ever!" 14The
four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Rev. 14:1 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on
Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their
foreheads.

2And
I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of
thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.
3And they sang
a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders.
No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.
4These are those
who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the
Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to
God and the Lamb.

Rev. 15:1 I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven
angels with the seven last plagues --last, because with them God's wrath is completed.

2And I saw what looked like a
sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious
over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps
given them by God3and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song
of the Lamb: "Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true
are your ways, King of the ages. 4Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For
you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts
have been revealed."

Rev. 18:21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large
millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: "With such violence the great city of
Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again.

22The music of harpists and musicians, fluteplayers and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No workman of
any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in
you again. 23The
light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will
never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world's great men. By your magic
spell all the nations were led astray.